The enrichment of biomass of cyanobacteria with vanadium using the cation and anion forms of its compounds

Abstract

Compounds of the trace element vanadium have been shown to mimic insulin effects in in vitro and in vivo systems. Vanadium compounds have emerged as agents for potential use in diabetes therapy. In our work we show the possibility of obtaining enriched biomass of cyanobacteria genus Spirulina ( S. platensis and S. maxima) with vanadium in organic form. We have investigated the accumulation of vanadium by the cells of cyanobacteria S. platensis and S. maxima by adding to cultural medium both the forms of vanadium in various concentrations and have defined the optimal concentrations of vanadium in the medium for maximum enrichment of the cells. We defined that S. maxima is more steady to increased concentration of vanadium(IV) and (V) in medium. Optimal concentration of vanadium(IV) in the medium for enrichment of S. platensis and S. maxima biomass was 1.5 g/L, at this vanadium concentration in medium the content of vanadium in the cells of S. platensis was 1245 ± 105 μg/g and in the cells of S. maxima was 1550 ± 75 μg/g. In the case of vanadium(V) addition, the optimal concentration for S. platensis enrichment was 1.5 g/L vanadium(V) in medium, and the intracellular concentration was 2855 ± 254 μg/g. For S. maxima the optimal concentration was 1.0 g/L vanadium(V) in medium, at that concentration the content of vanadium in cells was 2650 ± 206 μg/g. In addition, we revealed the alterations in macro- and microelemental compositions of both cultures caused by the increased concentration of vanadium compounds in cultural medium.